Figure toy and method of making the same



Jan. 1, 1946. M. CARUSO 2,392,227

FIGURE TOY AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME 7 Filed July 8, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR MAR/0 CA PUSO ATTO R N EY Jan. 1', 194 6. M. CARUVSO 2,392,227

FIGURE TOY AND METHODS'OF MAKING THE SAME Filed July 8, 1944v '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR MAR/0 CAKUSO ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 1, 1946 .FIGURE TOY AND METHOD THE SAME OF MAKING Mario Caruso, Maplewood, N. J.,' assig'nor to The" Lionel Corporation, tion of New York New York; N. Y., a corpora Application Julyil, 1944; Serial No. 544,064 I Y Ii-Claims. 46- 147) The present invention relates to figure toys and methods of making the same.

It iscustomary to make figure toys out of wood, but in these toys the positioning of the I legs of the animal or bird has usually been a position dictated by ease ofmanufacturing without simulating the leg positions for locomotion ofvthe animal or bird being simulated. V

According to the present invention the figures :employed on the toys are designed tohave the legs in front of or behind one another somewhat as appears in the animal or bird when in motion. These figures are preferably made, out of fiat blocks of wood of a thickness to provide suflicient width so that when the, figure is finished the three dimensional proportions of the figure will be substantially life-1ike.'

As these toy figures will have either two or four legs it has been found that a very convenient simple way of manufacturing such figures is to run a sawcut through the wooden block soas to separate the material which is later to form the legs on the right'hand side of the block from the legs on the left hand side of the block. This sawcut preferably runs lengthwise of the block along one edge and is equidistant from the two faces of the block. The main outline of the figure can then be completed by Jigsawing or routing operations while the leg outlines are formed by routing operations.

While the toy figures are susceptible of use as ornaments or as simple figure toys, it is contemplated that they will be used on wheeled toys. One preferred form of such wheeled toy has a rocker provided with small centrally disposed wheels sothat the toy can readily be dragged along on these wheels, and the toy is so arranged that it tends to tilt either one way or the other about these wheels as a support so that it rides along on the wheels and one or the other surfaces of the rocker in front of or behind the wheels.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, two embodiments in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a block of wood showing a longitudinal sawcut;

Figure 2 illustrates a preliminary cut on one side of the block by a routing tool to form one portion of the leg;

Figure 3 illustrates the completion of the two legs'on the front side of the bloc'k by means or aroutingto'ol; 1

Figure! illustrates the formation of all'f'our legs by means of a routing tool;

Figure 5 illustrates the completed figure on a rocker; v I I I H Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional .view illustrating the securing of the figure to the rocker; Figure 7 is a diagrammatic .view illustrating a slightly modified method of manufacture; and

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of'a rocker toy showing in heavy full lines the balanced position of the figure and rocker. showing in light full lines the positionwhen tilted forward and in light dotted lines the position when tilted rearwardly. a r I y a v v V Inmaking up the figuretoy a rectangularblock of wood- I0 illustrated in Figu e 1 is provided with a sawcut ll running lengthwiseof the block Thissawcut provides two bifurcations l2 and I3 from each of which one or two legs of the figure are tobeformed 1 1' w i Figure 2 illustrates the use of a router l4 cutting a curved line l5 which forms one side of one of the legs. This router removes the material from the near face of the block into the sawcut.

Figure 3 illustrates additional outlines l6 to l8, inclusive, by which the remainder of the legs and belly contour of the animal are formed.

In Figure 4 the block of wood has been turned around so that the legs 20 and 2| are on the rear side, and the contour followed by the router around the front side of the block similarly provides additional legs 22 and 23. Either before or after the legs have been cut to shape with the router the remainder of block has been formed to shape either by jigsaw, router or other suitable tool so as to be completed somewhat as shown in Figures 5 and 8. 7

If desired,.one can cut the figure toy to form shown in full lines 24 in Figure 7 by a jigsaw. The sawcut can be made before or after the jigsawing operation, then the routing tool can be on one side of the wooden block to out along the dotted lines 25, 25 to form the near legs, and along the dot-and-dash lines 26 and 21 to form the legs on the farther side. It will, of course, be understood that further finishing operations may be applied to get rid of square corners, provide suitable roundness to the figure and carry leg outlines above the sawcut.

The completed toy illustrated in Figures 5 and 8 employs in addition to the figure 30 or 30 a rocker 3| also made of wood. The figure is secured to the rocker by screws such as indicated Y at 32 in Figure 6. The rocker has a central rollers or wheels 39.

" partsis illustrated in hole 31 for an axle 38 on which is mounted'two cut back as indicated at 40 to accommodate these wheels and protect them against injury as the toy is being dragged along, and the wheelsextend below/ the rocker as indicated;

The parts are preferably proportionedsc that the center of gravity of the combined rocker and figure is in a vertical line such as indicated at 42', Figure 8; extending directly v upward from the bottom of the wheels and when in this position the toy is in unstable equilibrium on the rocker;

It, of course, will not stayihthis: posit-ion: and

will'tilt or rock forward orbacktuntil the; bot- "-1- tom surface 43 of the rocker engages'a supporta ing surface such as 44. Thepointof contact. is

approximately at the point marked 45 in Figure 8, and the center of gravity has moved from the:- position along the vertical line 42 to a position alongithe'sloping' line 42'; Thisipositi on of the Should the toy tip backward the center of gravity The body of the roller is light full lines inFi'gure- 8. v

stood that the particular forms shown are but a few of these forms, and various modications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is: s

l. A wheeled toy adaptd' for use on a substantially' horizontal; surfacefcomprising a rocker, a pair ofv wheels at substantially the center of the rocker, and a figure supported on top of the rocker, the center of gravity of the toy being a substantial distance above 'an'd directly over the axis of'the wheels when-the toy is balanced on the wheels the toy tending to rock forwardly or"rearwemlly"when out of balance and to come tdr'est supported by the wheels and a portion of the rocker surface in engagement with the'hori- V zontal surface v the extent that the wheels proe will move to be. somewhere iii-the? line 52"" and V the point of contact between the rockerand a supporting surface will be at some point such as 45". I When the'toy'is pulled along by a string it will ordiharilyidrag along" intlie dottedline position, but as soon as'jthe toy comes to rest the mass or material"- high above the center: of

gravity will causeit tore-ck from the dotted line position overto the iig'htiuil line position and pcssibly heyond, but in air-cases; unless the toy is'upset, it will-come to rest on either the light full line: or uotted line position "shown i'zr the,

drawing. As the pull on the string by which the toy is being dragged: alongvaries the toy rocks-back and fbrtlt riding'first'noseup and then nosedown.

same it is obvious that thein'ventibn may as j embodied in other forms and-constructions wit-he in the scope of the claims; Iw'islllt to underiii) 1 the. ends of. tha rocker s0 that the toymay rock walls; at. center notchedg andwheelcarried in the. notche's and'. horizontal: axles on. whichthe Wheels rotatably kaarriedthe: wheels extending below the rocker surfacetobear onasupport, linesof. tangency fromthelower wheelsurface to the rocker surface contacting the rocken surface substantially midway. between the w heel andt the ends. ofthe rockea.

31. A wheeled to)? having atrocker of are shaped configuration anda pain of centrally" disposed wheels protruding. a slight. distance: belowthe bottom o'f'the rbckenthe rocker carrying a figure above it; the combined rocker and figure-being of unstable equilibrium when supported on the wheels alone, and rocking. one way or. the= other about the wheels as; pivotsto: bring the rocker "against a; sumrortihg surface. to'one side orthe other of the wheels. e v MARIQ CARIJSQ 

